Chapter Fourteen
EMILY
I wasn’t very surprised Aiden’s mother wanted to walk me to the car alone. She was all over me during lunch, so I figured she just wanted to grope my belly once more before we said our goodbyes.
“You know I didn’t grow up rich, Emily,” was the first thing she said once we were out of earshot of Aiden and his father. I was caught off guard by her serious tone and couldn’t find my words.
“I know you’re worried about being looked at as a gold digger or a groupie; but honestly, they’ll say those things about you regardless,” she continued as my confusion deepened.
“I’m not sure why you’re telling me this,” I frowned.
“I know you don’t want Aiden paying for everything. But my grandchild will have the best, and I won’t have you depleting your savings to make it happen,” she paused to look into my eyes as we slowly walked towards the car.
“I don’t want you to worry about your job either. Gymnastics may be your passion now, but believe me, you’re about to have a new purpose, and you’ll want to spend every second caring for this sweet baby. Don’t you dare let money be the reason you deny yourself that privilege? Because that’s what it is, being able to enjoy time with your child is a complete privilege, and you only get one opportunity at it. They grow so quickly, so you’ve got to make your decision early, Emily.” She smiled as we arrived at the car.
Throughout the entire lunch I felt a strong connection to Debra and her extreme kindness, but now I was really taken by the depth of her care. She was advising me like she’d known me for years, or like Aiden wasn’t her son. I really appreciated her objectivity and felt emotion begin to climb from my chest.
“You’re not alone anymore, Emily. You have my grandchild, so that makes you my daughter, regardless of what you and Aiden choose to do,” she whispered in my ear before quickly helping me into the car.
I watched as she seamlessly turned her kind charm back on while she said goodbye to Aiden. She was back to being cheerful as her beautiful smile lit up her aging face. Gone was her serious demeanor that had just taken me by surprise, but her words stuck with me and I was appreciative of her candidness.
I tried to hide my face by looking out the window while Aiden settled into the backseat. My eyes were filled with tears of gratitude, and I knew they would soon overflow.
“So that was interesting,” Aiden said as he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his side.
“Mm-hmm,” I mumbled, fearful that words would be the catalyst for my tears to fall.
“Did my mother upset you, Emily?” He barked as he pulled my shoulders, forcing me to face him.
One tear slipped when I saw his handsome face. His mother was another layer to him; another layer that I knew I wanted in my life permanently. I had never felt a connection with anyone as a mother figure since my parents passed away. I had never felt the need for one either, but Debra really showed me just how much I could use one to help me through this journey.
“No, no. They’re happy tears,” I tried my best to smile as another tear slid down my face. Aiden looked a little confused, and then he pulled me into his chest. We rode to my condo in peace, as Debra’s words replayed in my head.
****
A couple of days had passed since I met Aiden’s parents and things between us had changed a bit. Ever since the ultrasound, Aiden had been way more involved and curious about my pregnancy. He was always checking on me, asking what I’d eaten and how it had made me feel. Once, he even asked when I planned to begin my maternity leave, which made me a little uncomfortable. Questions like that confused me about our stance because they made me feel like he was my companion.
I loved Aiden, so it was easy for me to slip into a relationship mode with him. I was carrying his baby for Christ’s sake! More than that, I wanted to be with Aiden. He wasn’t perfect by any standard, but I loved every second I spent with him. Without trying he was the man of my dreams – kind, considerate, protective, handsome, and sexy beyond belief. I knew he was going to be a great dad and I really wanted to experience it all together.
I called Mariah to talk about it while eating the slice of chocolate cake Aiden had delivered to my house earlier in the day when I’d mentioned my craving for sweets.
“Hey Pregz,” Mariah answered. ‘Pregz’ was her new nickname for me ever since my belly began protruding through my shirt.
“What’re you doing?” I asked, hopeful she had time to talk.
“Not much. I should be going to the gym, but…” she sighed, and I could tell she was lying down being lazy. “What’s up?” She asked concerned.
“Same old, same old. Feeling so much for Aiden and not knowing what to do about it,” I confided in my best friend.
“I know, Bestie. You’ve just got to take it one day at a time. It’s clear he feels for you, but guys work on a different clock than us.” She explained as I stuffed my face.
“But what if he never comes around? Like, what if I just have to find a stepfather for our baby?” My voice cracked on the last sentence. The thought of raising our baby with another man made me uneasy.
“I don’t think that will be the case, but if it comes to that I’m sure there’s someone great for you, Emily,” Mariah attempted to cheer me up, but her words were actually worrying me more.
“I don’t want to find anyone, Mariah. I want Aiden,” I cried as tears blurred my vision.
“Are you crying again, Emily?” She asked as she bit back a laugh.
“I can’t help it! I cry about everything now. It’s the damn hormones!” I exclaimed while reaching for a tissue to wipe my tears.
“You’re just emotional, and Aiden is very supportive, so you naturally want more. He’s a good guy, and he cares for you, Emily. Don’t sweat it; he’ll come around. Just give him a little time.” She assured, and I decided she was right. After filling me in on her plans for the weekend, we ended the call, and I decided to take a long shower.
I thought about all of the possible scenarios that could become my reality as I washed my hair and scrubbed my body. My belly was growing every day, my boobs had grown another size, and my hair was about three inches longer than usual. Everything about me seemed to be growing, especially my feelings for Aiden.
He was all I could think about as I daydreamed a future life with him. Mariah had hit the nail on the head; it was his increase in care that made my love for him grow. His thoughtfulness and protective nature made me want him around all of the time.
After drying myself off, I slipped into a green silk nightgown, I’d recently purchased. Lying in my bed, I decided to just relax; it was really all I could do. So I turned on the television and watched a crime drama until I fell asleep.
My phone vibrating awakened me as I squinted to block the bright sun from blinding my eyes. It was Aiden calling, probably to check on my morning sickness update.
“Hey,” I grumbled.
“Did I wake you? I’m sorry,” he breathed like he was out of breath.
“It’s fine. What’s wrong?” I asked sitting up in bed.
“Nothing. Can I come over?” He blurted out.
“Uh, sure,” I answered while pulling the covers off to get dressed.
“Okay, I’ll be there in ten minutes,” he said quickly before rushing off of the phone.
I quickly brushed my teeth and washed my face before slipping into a maxi dress and fluffing my hair. Aiden was ringing the doorbell before I could even make it downstairs.
“Hi,” I opened the door out of breath.
“I’m really sorry to wake you, but this couldn’t wait,” he kissed my check before briskly walking towards the living room where he sat on the sofa. He was holding a manila folder in his hand, which peaked my curiosity.
“What’s in the folder?” I asked as I made my way towards the sofa.
“It’s what I want to talk to you about,” he patted the seat next to him, encouraging me to sit.
“Okay,” I said nervously.
“I’ve been thinking,” he paused and took my hands in his. “I know this is all sudden and unexpected, but it’s not like you were ever someone I didn’t care for, Emily. I thought about you a lot after our first night together. I tried to find you on social media, I checked with the hotel staff; I really wanted you to get in touch with me,” he smirked.
“I thought about you too, Aiden,” I added softly.
“Well, I know I don’t know anything about relationships, but I really want to try. You know, to be just you and me; well and the baby soon,” he flashed that perfect smile.
“Really?” I asked shocked, I was worried my ears were playing tricks on me
“Yeah, do you think that’s a bad idea?” He frowned.
“No, I’ve wanted that for a while, but I didn’t want to force anything on you,” I admitted as the emotions again began to bubble in my chest.
“Okay, so that’s the first part,” he paused to look into my eyes before continuing, “I think a child should have one home; with a backyard and a swingset. They should know their Mommy and Daddy will be there every day when they wake up, and I want that for us,” he was a little nervous. His brow furrowed adorably as it always did when he was unsure of himself.
“Are you serious, Aiden?” I choked out. I hadn’t even considered living together as an option, so his suggestion seemed surreal.
“When we were shopping I realized all of the things we wanted for the baby couldn’t fit in either of my homes, and I don’t think they would fit here either,” he glanced around before lifting the manila folder from the coffee table.
He handed it to me, and I gasped when I opened it. There were five sheets of paper, each with a picture of a beautiful home and a list of specifics such as the amount of bedrooms and bathrooms, total square footage, and so on. There were no prices on the pages, which I knew was intentional. This was something Aiden wanted to do for me, and I could hear his mother encouraging me to put my pride aside.
The first page highlighted a contemporary home that looked like something Mariah would like, but it wasn’t really my style. Next was a large white Colonial style home that boasted 6- bedrooms and 4-bathrooms. I imagined it was the image that came to Mariah’s mind when she made fun of my fairy tale suburban life, but it wasn’t necessarily what I had in mind.
I flipped passed a Mediterranean-style house, as well as the printout for a ranch style home, before flipping to the final page. It featured a redbrick Tudor home that took my breath away. The house had two floors with 7-bedrooms and 8-bathrooms. There was a home theater and 2-acres of land behind the house.
“Wow,” was all I could get out as a tear dropped from my eye to the printout.
“Look, this one is only 3-miles from the arena, so I can maybe teach the baby to skate,” he grinned.
“Oh gosh,” I gushed at the thought of having my fairy tale with Aiden.
“Is this all too much?” Aiden asked.
“Yes, but in a good way. It’s a dream, Aiden, but I’m afraid too.” I cried.
“What’s there to be afraid of?” He asked confused.
“I don’t know. I just don’t want you to do this and then down the line leave the baby and me alone,” I whispered.
“I would never do that, Emily. I could never do that to our child or to you. I already love our baby,” he said gently, and the tears began to slide down my face. Aiden gently wiped my tears with the pads of his thumbs as he continued.
“And I’ve loved you since the day I met you,” his eyes glistened as he said it and I felt the butterflies take over my chest.
“You have?” I lowered my face as the tears took over.
“Of course I have, Emily. I think everyone could tell that but you,” he teased as he pulled me towards him.
“I’m sorry for this. I’ve just been an emotional wreck!” I tried to stop the tears as I sunk into his chest.
“It’s fine, baby. My daughter is making you emotional, that’s all,” he rubbed my back.
“Daughter?!” I shrieked.
“Yeah, I’ve got a feeling it’s a girl. We’ll know soon enough, but I think I may have another girl in my life soon,” he kissed the top of my head and took a deep breath as he rocked back and forth.
“I love you too, Aiden,” I added softly.
“I know, Emily. I know.” He kissed my head again, before lifting my face toward his. Aiden wiped my tears once more before gently kissing my lips.
I pushed forward, trying my best to deepen the kiss, craving his passion and his touch. He answered by cupping my neck and tilting my head before sliding his tongue into my mouth. My body lit up for him, excitement pumping through my veins.
“Can we go to my bedroom?” I pleaded as desire pooled between my legs.
“You want to?” He asked while raising his eyebrows.
I bit my bottom lip and nodded. Aiden quickly rose from the sofa before lifting me up.
“Bring those!” I pointed to the five house descriptions. Aiden knelt down and picked up the manila folder without letting me go. He was so strong he seemed to carry me with ease.
“Let’s go pick our perfect house while I kiss all over my perfect woman,” he whispered in my ear before gently biting my earlobe.
The sensation tickled, and I giggled as Aiden nuzzled my neck while carrying me through my condo.